About the Book

Title: Like Moonlight at Low Tide

Author: Nicole Quigley

Genre: Young Adult Fiction

Release Date: 2012

When high school junior Melissa Keiser returns to her hometown of Anna Maria Island, Florida, she has one goal: hide from the bullies who had convinced her she was the ugliest girl in school. But when she is caught sneaking into a neighbor’s pool at night, everything changes. Something is different now that Melissa is sixteen, and the guys and popular girls who once made her life miserable have taken notice. When Melissa gets the chance to escape life in a house ruled by her mom’s latest boyfriend, she must choose where her loyalties lie between a long-time crush, a new friend, and her surfer brother who makes it impossible to forget her roots. Just as Melissa seems to achieve everything she ever wanted, she loses a loved one to suicide. Melissa must not only grieve for her loss, she must find the truth about the three boys who loved her and discover that joy sometimes comes from the most unexpected place of all.

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About the Author

Nicole Quigley is the author of Like Moonlight at Low Tide, a winner of the American Christian Fiction Writers “Carol Award” and “Genesis Contest” for best young adult fiction. Nicole works in public relations and spent many years in Washington, D.C. She now lives on Florida’s Gulf Coast, where she grew up. Nicole holds a B.S. from Appalachian State University, where she majored in Communications/Public Relations and minored in English. Her favorite place in the world is Western North Carolina, and her favorite place to write is a late night coffee shop, wherever she can find one open.

Guest Post from Nicole Quigley

Three Things I Hear from “Like Moonlight at Low Tide” Readers

When I first wrote “Like Moonlight at Low Tide,” I thought my readers were going to get the same things out of it that I did. The book gets off to a start when Missy Keiser sneaks into her neighbor’s pool to go nightswimming. She thought no one was home until she sees the figure of an unknown guy standing in the dark, at the edge of the pool.

Missy was bullied when she was younger, but this story is about what happens after she is bullied. What happens if you got everything you ever wanted? Would it be enough? I think that when we really look at the reasons behind why we want things and why the things we want can become so big in our lives, especially in high school—we often find that there’s really a bigger question left for all of us.

Who is going to love me?

Since “Like Moonlight at Low Tide” debuted, I’ve been so honored to hear from readers who could relate to Missy’s story. One thing that has surprised are the things I hear about from readers time and again.

First, I always hear about the ending! I definitely wrestled with how to bring the book to a close. I won’t say more about it (no spoilers!), but I have to laugh because most readers tell me I was really close to hearing a lot more from them! Second, I always hear about a certain guy who becomes the male protagonist. Yes, girls, I have to admit that I loved writing him!

Lastly, I often hear the book was written “just for them.” That’s what touches me most of all. I wrote this story from the heart. It means so much to hear that it reached others, and often in ways I never predicted. I love that.

Once a reader picks up my story and brings her own experiences to it, it becomes something new. And it’s really special to connect with a reader on some of these heart questions that we all have in common. One reader who has really made an impact on me sent me a hand-made charm bracelet based on the book. She took Missy’s story, and she turned it into something entirely new. Her creativity is really special, and the bracelet is now one of my most treasured possessions

I love hearing from readers about what they liked (or even didn’t like) in Missy’s story. As it turns out, listening to readers is one of the very best parts of writing for them.

If ever there was a book that teens should read, this is THE book. I really shouldn’t just say teens though. I recommended that everyone should grab a copy. The emotions in the book are captivated with beautiful writing . The author has written a story that many families have gone through. It is never easy to see one of your children being bullied. I wanted to grab Melissa and hug her and tell her that she was so important to God. I remember in junior high how much bullying I had to endure. I was not attractive at all. I wore long dresses because my dad was a Baptist preacher and I was not allowed to wear anything he felt was improper. Like Melissa, I had to daily hear names kids called me. I can so relate to Melissa when she hid in the bathroom from her tormentors. 

Melissa has not had any real parents in her life that cared about her. Her mother was more concerned about herself and less about her kids. The author shows readers what it is like to grow up in a home when a parent ignores the well being of their children. I wanted to go shake the mother and let her know what precious gifts God had given her. 

Melissa’s brother seemed to be affected by the absence of parents the most. He was a lost boy looking to be accepted and loved. He did start to withdraw and Melissa sees a change in him. His character was very well written and you could feel he was drifting away from everyone. One of the hardest things a parent will ever endure is the loss of a child. It makes it even harder when that child commits suicide. Sometimes there are no visible signs that someone is depressed and they may even hide their feelings from everyone. 

I found the story to be very powerful and written with compassion. Melissa ignores warnings from a friend, and does things in order to be popular. She stills remembers how kids made fun of her when she was younger. Now that she is sixteen and been away for a few years, she hopes that she will be accepted in high school. 

I wish I had a friend like Josh when I was in school. He is passionate about God and let’s Melissa know she is important. His faith and example of leading a Christian life really made an impact on Melissa. Will Melissa forgive herself for the tragedy her family went through? Can she see how beautiful she is on the inside? The book has great lessons we can all learn from. Living with regret and guilt brings sadness, but forgiveness can set you free. 

I received a copy of this book from Celebrate Lit and the author. The review is my own opinion.

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Giveaway

To celebrate her tour, Nicole is giving away a $50 Amazon Card!!

Click below to enter. Be sure to comment on this post before you enter to claim 9 extra entries! https://promosimple.com/ps/c402